schlockfink
Active Member
I had a half day of work today, after which I spent the remaining day light hours fixing the rear lock on my '63 dart wagon! I figured I'd best get on this after I found out a homeless guy spent the night in the back. (He left his nike airs, a picture of his kid, and some drug paraphernalia). I've had the NOS lock cylinder for 3 years now. I just kept putting off getting a locksmith to install it. But, after I easily installed a new trunk lock in my '58 chevy Biscayne 4 door I thought the darts lock would probably be just as easy. WRONG! It sucked!!!! I had to take the whole tail gate apart! It was hard getting to the back side of the handle. The old lock cylinder did not want to come out. At one point I thought I probably messed things up beyond repair. So I stuffed the biggest screw driver I owned into the old lock, I attached vice grips to it, and turned it at an angle, and the old crusty lock popped out. I popped the NOS lock in, bolted it all back together, and now it's as good as new! My tail gate lock WORKS for the first time since I:ve owned the car; which is 4 years now. WOOO HOOO!! STOKED! in the picture I'm holding the original broken lock for comparison. I figured out that you do not need to take the whole tailgate apart, you just need to pop that old lock out from the front and then pop a new old stock one in. So if your tail gate lock is busted start checking ebay regularly. Hopefully a tailgate lock will show up. They don't seem to show up often, but you may get lucky like I did! Today was a GOOD DAY!
